Some of the best days out with kids cost nothing. This list covers the free side of the city: beaches, parks, city farms and markets you can walk into any week, plus the street festivals, parades and seasonal traditions that fill the calendar. It updates as new free plans come in, so check back before the weekend.
A neighborhood lantern parade for Sint-Maarten, the Dutch tradition when children carry lit lanterns through the streets after dark. This one gathers at the Vruchtenbuurt shopping street and has been running for more than a decade.
It suits preschoolers and young primary-school kids who can walk with a lantern in hand. Join the local families.
Sinterklaas sails into Scheveningen harbor on his pakjesboot, the gift boat, and The Hague turns out to greet him. Once the boat docks, he is welcomed on stage, then sets off with his entourage on a ride through the streets of The Hague.
It suits kids who still believe and families who want to see the tradition up close. It is less fun for kids who hate crowds.
Kids find out what children played with in Roman times, about 2,000 years ago: balls, dolls, marbles and knucklebones, often made by the kids themselves.
Then they get to work with clay and felt alongside an (almost) real Roman lady and make a Roman toy of their own. It suits kids who like history or making things with their hands.
The Royal Christmas Fair is an open-air Christmas market on Lange Voorhout, in the center of The Hague. There's nothing to book: you walk in, browse the stalls and leave when the kids have had enough.
It works as a short stop on a winter walk through the city center, and suits families who want some festive atmosphere without planning around a set start time.
Lichtjesavond is the evening Delft's old center lights up for winter, part of the city's Delft Verlicht season. Families wander the lit streets and canals, stopping for Christmas choirs, concerts and theater in churches and venues, with plenty happening outdoors too.
It suits kids who are happy on foot on a cold winter evening. A silent disco and sing-alongs give them something to join in, not just watch.
Every December, Gouda receives a Christmas tree from its Norwegian sister city, Kongsberg. People gather on the Markt to welcome it, watch the ceremony and see its lights switched on together.
It suits families happy to stand with a crowd on an outdoor square on a December evening, and kids who like a big shared moment more than a sit-down show.
Leiden's Christmas market fills the historic center with a winter village of wooden chalets, where local businesses sell their own products and food trucks serve winter treats and hot drinks.
Kids can browse the stalls and see the lit Christmas tree. It is a browsing market more than an activity, so for restless kids, pair it with the ice rink or the nostalgic fair nearby.
Scheveningen's New Year's Eve bonfire is a Hague tradition: a public bonfire on the Noorderstrand, with a fireworks show set off by professionals. Families come and go along the beach to watch the fire and the sky.
It suits school-age kids and teens who can handle a late night, a crowd and loud bangs. Toddlers and noise-sensitive kids may find it a lot.
The Bloemencorso is a procession of floats decorated with spring flowers that rolls through the Bollenstreek from Noordwijk to Haarlem, passing the tulip fields and Keukenhof flower park on the way.
Kids stand along the roadside and watch the floats go by. It suits families who don't mind crowds and some waiting outdoors.
Koningsdag, King's Day, turns The Hague orange. The big draw for families is the vrijmarkt: free street markets where people lay out blankets and stalls full of second-hand goods, vintage finds and snacks.
Markets pop up in neighborhoods across the city, so you can stay local and wander at your own pace. It suits families who like a browse and a treat more than a big show.
The Hague's Bevrijdingsfestival marks Dutch Liberation Day with live music at the Malieveld, an open field in the city center.
It suits kids who are happy in a big crowd with loud music. A child who needs quiet may find it too much.
World Port Days (Wereldhavendagen) is the biggest maritime festival in the Netherlands, a chance to discover Rotterdam's port up close.
It's a come-and-go festival, so families can drop in for a while or stay longer. Kids who like ships and boats get the most out of it, and the boat tours take you out on the water.
On Prinsjesdag, the day the Dutch parliamentary year opens, King Willem-Alexander rides in the Glass Coach from Paleis Noordeinde to the Koninklijke Schouwburg, where he reads the King's speech (troonrede).
Kids watch from the roadside as the coach and the royal procession pass. It suits kids happy to wait for a few minutes of spectacle, less so those who need constant action.
The Paleistuin is a one-hectare park behind Noordeinde Palace, laid out in the English landscape style with winding paths, lawns, a pond and a sculpture garden. From the paths you see the back of the palace and the Royal Stables. A play area was added in 2008.
In 1785 Jean-Pierre Blanchard took off from this garden in the first crewed balloon flight in the Netherlands.
De Woelige Stal is the oldest of The Hague's ten city farms, opened in 1973 on the edge of Wijkpark Transvaal. Goats, sheep, cows, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs live here, and kids can pet the goats, cows, rabbits and guinea pigs.
Visitors can pitch in with farm chores such as feeding the chickens, weeding the flower garden and cleaning out the hutches.
Haagse Markt is a long open-air street market along Herman Costerstraat, trading since the 18th century and now one of the biggest markets in Europe. Rows of stalls sell fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, fabric, clothing and shoes, plus a flower market.
Kids can pick out fruit, sniff the spice stalls and help carry the bags home. It gets busy, so it suits kids who don't mind crowds.
Wassenaarse Slag is a sandy North Sea beach at the end of a road through the dunes, part of the unbroken shore that runs from Scheveningen to Katwijk.
Behind it lie the dunes of Meijendel. The Wassenaarse Slag entrances lead into the Ganzenhoek woods in the north of the reserve, with many walking paths, and Dunea, which manages the dunes, points visitors here for a quiet walk.
Zuiderstrand is the stretch of North Sea beach between Scheveningen harbor and Kijkduin, backed by the protected Westduinpark dunes. Walking and cycling paths cross the dunes to several beach access points, past World War II bunkers and grazing Scottish Highland cattle.
At access point 5 stands a beachcomber's shed decorated with washed-up finds, known as the Strandjuttersmuseum.
Kijkduin is the smaller of The Hague's two seaside resorts, a sand beach below a long line of dunes on the city's southwest side. A boulevard runs along the top of the dune, with shops on the town side and cafes facing the sea.
Several beach entrances lead down to the sand, and the Jutterskeet van Ome Jan, a beachcombers' museum, sits by entrance 5.
A wide, sandy North Sea beach in front of the Kurhaus and the 382-meter Scheveningen Pier, a two-deck pier with a bungee jump on top. Kids dig and paddle at the waterline, and older ones can try a lesson at the surf school on Strandweg. Beach clubs line the sand, with the boulevard's restaurants just behind.
Park Vreugd en Rust is the public garden of an old Voorburg estate, laid out around 1830 with curving ponds and winding paths. Kids head for the deer enclosure, which has grown into a small animal park, and hunt for the sculptures dotted through the grounds. The former orangery now houses Brasserie De Koepel, and an ornate iron gate from the 1910 Brussels World's Fair marks the Parkweg entrance.
Scheveningse Bosjes is a wooded park on old dune land between the city center and Scheveningen, with rolling paths for walking, cycling and horse riding. Kids head for the big sand playground, with a skate park next to it. A large pond, the Waterpartij, sits on the sea side, and Madurodam borders the park to the north. Monuments and sculptures line the paths, including a Claes Oldenburg artwork.
Westduinpark is a protected dune landscape of 235 hectares (counting the neighboring Bosjes van Poot), with sandy slopes, small dune oak groves and lookout points over 30 meters high. The tallest dune, De Vulkaan, reaches 33 meters.
Scottish Highland cattle graze the open dunes and may cross the paths. Several WWII Atlantic Wall bunkers sit in the sand, and paths lead over the dunes to the beach.
Meijendel is the largest continuous nature area in South Holland: woods, high dunes and infiltration lakes run by water company Dunea. De Tapuit visitor center is the starting point, where kids look for water creatures in the aquarium, meet the dune animals and test what they know about drinking water.
Marked trails start here, one passing the Monkeybos, where kids may leave the path to play.
Madestein is a large recreation area on the city's southwest edge, laid out from 1969 on old polder land across from Loosduinen. Together with Ockenburgh and De Uithof it forms one long green belt.
Inside is Heempark H.J. Bos, an educational garden that recreates the plant life of different dune landscapes, and the rebuilt foundations of a 13th-century stone house, left on view for visitors.
Clingendael is a landscaped estate park with woodland paths, an old Dutch garden of box hedges and flower beds, a curving 18th-century fruit wall and a dogs' cemetery under a linden tree. Its Japanese Garden, laid out over a century ago by Baroness Marguérite van Brienen after a trip to Japan, is the largest in the Netherlands, with stone lanterns, a thatched pavilion and fragile moss.
Haagse Bos is a centuries-old forest in the middle of the city, protected since the Act of Redemption and the oldest protected forest in Western Europe. Kids build their own huts in its two play forests, and deer rest in the Koekamp among ponds and winding paths.
There are open lawns for lounging, and a skate track by the Malieveld with bumps for skaters and BMX riders.
Westbroekpark is an 18-hectare park between Madurodam and Scheveningen, built around one big central lawn. Its showpiece is the International Rosarium, where about 20,000 rose bushes bloom in summer on some 300 beds.
A trail of 17 sculptures by 20th-century Dutch artists runs through the park, including a bronze Puss in Boots for kids to find. Two World War II bunkers still stand in the grounds.
Zuiderpark is a 1920s people's park laid out around a large pond, with three big play lawns covering 14 hectares. Around them sit a six-meter play castle, a western playground, a nature playground, a skate park, a city farm, mini golf, a riding stable and an indoor pool.
Kids can hunt for the Ot en Sien statues, climb the De Villierskopje lookout hill and ride a model steam train.
Monkeybos is a natural play forest in the Meijendel dunes, a short walk from De Tapuit, the visitor center of water company Dunea. Kids let off steam among the trees while parents rest nearby.
The Vossentocht, a trail of 10 small nature tasks for the youngest, starts beside it. The Duincampus, with three themed outdoor routes for ages 6 to 12, begins at De Tapuit.
Het Apenbos is a fenced playground tucked under the dense tree canopy at the edge of the Bosjes van Poot woods. Kids from the local scout group and the school next door helped plan it, and the result is mostly wood: climbing frames with rope nets, rope bridges to balance across, swings and a slide, all set on wood chips.
A woodland playground in the Bosjes van Pex, a 24-hectare nature area on an old dune ridge, named after the Pex family who farmed there. The equipment sits in sand under tall trees: a climbing frame with slide and rope ladders, a big swing, a tire swing, a climbing bridge, a balance beam and stepping stones, plus a toddler sandpit and slide. Benches, logs and picnic tables seat parents.
't Speelduin is a natural playground set in the sand of the Westduinpark dunes, just behind the Duindorp neighborhood. The 50-meter play area is mostly wooden: a big frame with slides, a cable run, balance beams, climbing bridges, a tire swing and tree trunks to clamber over. Toddlers get their own sandpit with little houses and a low bridge, and benches line the edge for parents.
A public playground in Westbroekpark, the 18-hectare park between Madurodam and Scheveningen. Kids get a climbing castle, swings and a zip line, with a big play lawn right beside it for ball games.
The rest of the park is worth a loop: a duck pond, sculptures by 20th-century Dutch artists, and the rose garden, where about 20,000 rose bushes flower in summer.
Natuurspeelplaats Zuiderpret is a nature playground at the edge of the big play meadow in the Zuiderpark. A fast-flowing stream runs through an open area between the bushes, and kids cross it on stepping stones, logs, swinging ropes and footbridges.
A footbridge between the hills leads to a lookout tower, a crawl tube runs through another hill, and a separate section is set aside for children under 6.
Speelbos Robin Hood is a natural play forest in the Haagse Bos, run by Staatsbosbeheer. Kids follow an adventure route over rope and suspension bridges, fly along a cable slide, swing through the trees on ropes and take on a climbing wall.
For a slower pace there is a big rope swing to lie back in and a tree trunk where kids sit and tell each other stories.
A city farm in the Delftse Hout where kids can pet some of the animals, cuddle rabbits, and meet goats, sheep, ponies, donkeys, pigs, cows, chickens and peacocks. Wolkje, the yard goat, roams free.
Next door, a rebuilt water playground has a small beach and water pumped in from the Schie. A clog golf course winds through the animal meadow, and the organic restaurant has a terrace.
Schildershoeve is a city farm in the middle of the Schilderswijk where kids get to help with the daily work. They can brush the animals in the paddock, rake and shovel out the manure, and lend a hand at feeding time.
In the cuddle corner, rabbits and guinea pigs can be petted and held. Best for kids who are happy to get their hands dirty.
Op den Dijk is a historic city farm in Wateringse Veld, home to cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens. In the cuddle corner kids can hold the rabbits, and in the big-animal meadow they can brush the animals or help muck out with tools and small wheelbarrows.
A small playground and a few little bikes keep the youngest busy between pens.
Molenweide is one of the city-run farms, with goats in the meadow, rabbits and guinea pigs to pet, and a vegetable and fruit garden where kids can see crops growing.
The farm runs nature and environment activities for kids, and part of the stable is now De Koffiemolen, a corner for coffee or tea while children watch the animals.
Stadsboerderij Landzigt is a city-run farm in Leidschenveen where kids see the daily work of a farm up close. There is a wide mix of animals, a green play area and a regular program of activities, and school groups come often for its lessons.
Lunch café De Smulhoeve is right next door, so a farm visit and a sit-down lunch fit in one trip.
De Kakelhof is one of the ten city farms the municipality runs, set in the middle of the Nieuw Waldeck neighborhood in Loosduinen. Kids can see the farm animals up close and hold the guinea pigs in the cuddle corner. The farm also organizes activities for children and adults.
Stadsboerderij de Gagelhoeve is a small city farm with two animal pastures, a vegetable garden, a herb garden and a picnic lawn. Kids can brush the goats, pet and cuddle the smaller animals in the cuddle corner, then run off to the play area.
The farm also runs regular activities for kids, listed in local family agendas.
't Waaygat is one of The Hague's municipal city farms, on Havenkade by Scheveningen harbor. Kids walk past the pens and stalls to see farm animals up close, including cows, goats and chickens, and a small play area with climbing bars sits on the grounds.
Reigershof is a municipal city farm from 1976, named after the Reigersbergen green space around it. Kids can brush the goats in the pasture, visit the big rabbits, and help at feeding time if they ask the farm manager.
There is a scavenger hunt, a little swap library of children's books in the stable, and a nature playground on the grounds.
Herweijerhoeve is a city farm run by the City of The Hague on the edge of Zuiderpark. Goats, sheep, rabbits and guinea pigs live here, and visitors can walk around and see the animals up close.
In the cuddle corner, kids can pet and hold small animals such as guinea pigs at set times. A small playground sits next to the farm, and Zuiderpark has a much bigger one.
The city's main public library fills several floors of Richard Meier's white City Hall complex on Spui, around the largest atrium in the Netherlands.
The third floor is for children and teens, with a play area, books shelved by age, study spaces and a workshop room. Story sessions run there, including weekly read-alouds in Serbian. The fifth floor holds a theater and a green terrace with city views.
The Visitors Centre explains the Peace Palace, the 1913 building that houses the UN's International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. An audio tour covers the palace's history and the work of the courts inside.
The grounds are open only on guided tours: inside the palace, around the outside, or through the garden. It suits school-age kids curious about how countries resolve disputes without war.
Some of the best days out with kids cost nothing. This list covers the free side of the city: beaches, parks, city farms and markets you can walk into any week, plus the street festivals, parades and seasonal traditions that fill the calendar. It updates as new free plans come in, so check back before the weekend.
A neighborhood lantern parade for Sint-Maarten, the Dutch tradition when children carry lit lanterns through the streets after dark. This one gathers at the Vruchtenbuurt shopping street and has been running for more than a decade.
It suits preschoolers and young primary-school kids who can walk with a lantern in hand. Join the local families.
Sinterklaas sails into Scheveningen harbor on his pakjesboot, the gift boat, and The Hague turns out to greet him. Once the boat docks, he is welcomed on stage, then sets off with his entourage on a ride through the streets of The Hague.
It suits kids who still believe and families who want to see the tradition up close. It is less fun for kids who hate crowds.
Kids find out what children played with in Roman times, about 2,000 years ago: balls, dolls, marbles and knucklebones, often made by the kids themselves.
Then they get to work with clay and felt alongside an (almost) real Roman lady and make a Roman toy of their own. It suits kids who like history or making things with their hands.
The Royal Christmas Fair is an open-air Christmas market on Lange Voorhout, in the center of The Hague. There's nothing to book: you walk in, browse the stalls and leave when the kids have had enough.
It works as a short stop on a winter walk through the city center, and suits families who want some festive atmosphere without planning around a set start time.
Lichtjesavond is the evening Delft's old center lights up for winter, part of the city's Delft Verlicht season. Families wander the lit streets and canals, stopping for Christmas choirs, concerts and theater in churches and venues, with plenty happening outdoors too.
It suits kids who are happy on foot on a cold winter evening. A silent disco and sing-alongs give them something to join in, not just watch.
Every December, Gouda receives a Christmas tree from its Norwegian sister city, Kongsberg. People gather on the Markt to welcome it, watch the ceremony and see its lights switched on together.
It suits families happy to stand with a crowd on an outdoor square on a December evening, and kids who like a big shared moment more than a sit-down show.
Leiden's Christmas market fills the historic center with a winter village of wooden chalets, where local businesses sell their own products and food trucks serve winter treats and hot drinks.
Kids can browse the stalls and see the lit Christmas tree. It is a browsing market more than an activity, so for restless kids, pair it with the ice rink or the nostalgic fair nearby.
Scheveningen's New Year's Eve bonfire is a Hague tradition: a public bonfire on the Noorderstrand, with a fireworks show set off by professionals. Families come and go along the beach to watch the fire and the sky.
It suits school-age kids and teens who can handle a late night, a crowd and loud bangs. Toddlers and noise-sensitive kids may find it a lot.
The Bloemencorso is a procession of floats decorated with spring flowers that rolls through the Bollenstreek from Noordwijk to Haarlem, passing the tulip fields and Keukenhof flower park on the way.
Kids stand along the roadside and watch the floats go by. It suits families who don't mind crowds and some waiting outdoors.
Koningsdag, King's Day, turns The Hague orange. The big draw for families is the vrijmarkt: free street markets where people lay out blankets and stalls full of second-hand goods, vintage finds and snacks.
Markets pop up in neighborhoods across the city, so you can stay local and wander at your own pace. It suits families who like a browse and a treat more than a big show.
The Hague's Bevrijdingsfestival marks Dutch Liberation Day with live music at the Malieveld, an open field in the city center.
It suits kids who are happy in a big crowd with loud music. A child who needs quiet may find it too much.
World Port Days (Wereldhavendagen) is the biggest maritime festival in the Netherlands, a chance to discover Rotterdam's port up close.
It's a come-and-go festival, so families can drop in for a while or stay longer. Kids who like ships and boats get the most out of it, and the boat tours take you out on the water.
On Prinsjesdag, the day the Dutch parliamentary year opens, King Willem-Alexander rides in the Glass Coach from Paleis Noordeinde to the Koninklijke Schouwburg, where he reads the King's speech (troonrede).
Kids watch from the roadside as the coach and the royal procession pass. It suits kids happy to wait for a few minutes of spectacle, less so those who need constant action.
The Paleistuin is a one-hectare park behind Noordeinde Palace, laid out in the English landscape style with winding paths, lawns, a pond and a sculpture garden. From the paths you see the back of the palace and the Royal Stables. A play area was added in 2008.
In 1785 Jean-Pierre Blanchard took off from this garden in the first crewed balloon flight in the Netherlands.
De Woelige Stal is the oldest of The Hague's ten city farms, opened in 1973 on the edge of Wijkpark Transvaal. Goats, sheep, cows, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs live here, and kids can pet the goats, cows, rabbits and guinea pigs.
Visitors can pitch in with farm chores such as feeding the chickens, weeding the flower garden and cleaning out the hutches.
Haagse Markt is a long open-air street market along Herman Costerstraat, trading since the 18th century and now one of the biggest markets in Europe. Rows of stalls sell fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, fabric, clothing and shoes, plus a flower market.
Kids can pick out fruit, sniff the spice stalls and help carry the bags home. It gets busy, so it suits kids who don't mind crowds.
Wassenaarse Slag is a sandy North Sea beach at the end of a road through the dunes, part of the unbroken shore that runs from Scheveningen to Katwijk.
Behind it lie the dunes of Meijendel. The Wassenaarse Slag entrances lead into the Ganzenhoek woods in the north of the reserve, with many walking paths, and Dunea, which manages the dunes, points visitors here for a quiet walk.
Zuiderstrand is the stretch of North Sea beach between Scheveningen harbor and Kijkduin, backed by the protected Westduinpark dunes. Walking and cycling paths cross the dunes to several beach access points, past World War II bunkers and grazing Scottish Highland cattle.
At access point 5 stands a beachcomber's shed decorated with washed-up finds, known as the Strandjuttersmuseum.
Kijkduin is the smaller of The Hague's two seaside resorts, a sand beach below a long line of dunes on the city's southwest side. A boulevard runs along the top of the dune, with shops on the town side and cafes facing the sea.
Several beach entrances lead down to the sand, and the Jutterskeet van Ome Jan, a beachcombers' museum, sits by entrance 5.
A wide, sandy North Sea beach in front of the Kurhaus and the 382-meter Scheveningen Pier, a two-deck pier with a bungee jump on top. Kids dig and paddle at the waterline, and older ones can try a lesson at the surf school on Strandweg. Beach clubs line the sand, with the boulevard's restaurants just behind.
Park Vreugd en Rust is the public garden of an old Voorburg estate, laid out around 1830 with curving ponds and winding paths. Kids head for the deer enclosure, which has grown into a small animal park, and hunt for the sculptures dotted through the grounds. The former orangery now houses Brasserie De Koepel, and an ornate iron gate from the 1910 Brussels World's Fair marks the Parkweg entrance.
Scheveningse Bosjes is a wooded park on old dune land between the city center and Scheveningen, with rolling paths for walking, cycling and horse riding. Kids head for the big sand playground, with a skate park next to it. A large pond, the Waterpartij, sits on the sea side, and Madurodam borders the park to the north. Monuments and sculptures line the paths, including a Claes Oldenburg artwork.
Westduinpark is a protected dune landscape of 235 hectares (counting the neighboring Bosjes van Poot), with sandy slopes, small dune oak groves and lookout points over 30 meters high. The tallest dune, De Vulkaan, reaches 33 meters.
Scottish Highland cattle graze the open dunes and may cross the paths. Several WWII Atlantic Wall bunkers sit in the sand, and paths lead over the dunes to the beach.
Meijendel is the largest continuous nature area in South Holland: woods, high dunes and infiltration lakes run by water company Dunea. De Tapuit visitor center is the starting point, where kids look for water creatures in the aquarium, meet the dune animals and test what they know about drinking water.
Marked trails start here, one passing the Monkeybos, where kids may leave the path to play.
Madestein is a large recreation area on the city's southwest edge, laid out from 1969 on old polder land across from Loosduinen. Together with Ockenburgh and De Uithof it forms one long green belt.
Inside is Heempark H.J. Bos, an educational garden that recreates the plant life of different dune landscapes, and the rebuilt foundations of a 13th-century stone house, left on view for visitors.
Clingendael is a landscaped estate park with woodland paths, an old Dutch garden of box hedges and flower beds, a curving 18th-century fruit wall and a dogs' cemetery under a linden tree. Its Japanese Garden, laid out over a century ago by Baroness Marguérite van Brienen after a trip to Japan, is the largest in the Netherlands, with stone lanterns, a thatched pavilion and fragile moss.
Haagse Bos is a centuries-old forest in the middle of the city, protected since the Act of Redemption and the oldest protected forest in Western Europe. Kids build their own huts in its two play forests, and deer rest in the Koekamp among ponds and winding paths.
There are open lawns for lounging, and a skate track by the Malieveld with bumps for skaters and BMX riders.
Westbroekpark is an 18-hectare park between Madurodam and Scheveningen, built around one big central lawn. Its showpiece is the International Rosarium, where about 20,000 rose bushes bloom in summer on some 300 beds.
A trail of 17 sculptures by 20th-century Dutch artists runs through the park, including a bronze Puss in Boots for kids to find. Two World War II bunkers still stand in the grounds.
Zuiderpark is a 1920s people's park laid out around a large pond, with three big play lawns covering 14 hectares. Around them sit a six-meter play castle, a western playground, a nature playground, a skate park, a city farm, mini golf, a riding stable and an indoor pool.
Kids can hunt for the Ot en Sien statues, climb the De Villierskopje lookout hill and ride a model steam train.
Monkeybos is a natural play forest in the Meijendel dunes, a short walk from De Tapuit, the visitor center of water company Dunea. Kids let off steam among the trees while parents rest nearby.
The Vossentocht, a trail of 10 small nature tasks for the youngest, starts beside it. The Duincampus, with three themed outdoor routes for ages 6 to 12, begins at De Tapuit.
Het Apenbos is a fenced playground tucked under the dense tree canopy at the edge of the Bosjes van Poot woods. Kids from the local scout group and the school next door helped plan it, and the result is mostly wood: climbing frames with rope nets, rope bridges to balance across, swings and a slide, all set on wood chips.
A woodland playground in the Bosjes van Pex, a 24-hectare nature area on an old dune ridge, named after the Pex family who farmed there. The equipment sits in sand under tall trees: a climbing frame with slide and rope ladders, a big swing, a tire swing, a climbing bridge, a balance beam and stepping stones, plus a toddler sandpit and slide. Benches, logs and picnic tables seat parents.
't Speelduin is a natural playground set in the sand of the Westduinpark dunes, just behind the Duindorp neighborhood. The 50-meter play area is mostly wooden: a big frame with slides, a cable run, balance beams, climbing bridges, a tire swing and tree trunks to clamber over. Toddlers get their own sandpit with little houses and a low bridge, and benches line the edge for parents.
A public playground in Westbroekpark, the 18-hectare park between Madurodam and Scheveningen. Kids get a climbing castle, swings and a zip line, with a big play lawn right beside it for ball games.
The rest of the park is worth a loop: a duck pond, sculptures by 20th-century Dutch artists, and the rose garden, where about 20,000 rose bushes flower in summer.
Natuurspeelplaats Zuiderpret is a nature playground at the edge of the big play meadow in the Zuiderpark. A fast-flowing stream runs through an open area between the bushes, and kids cross it on stepping stones, logs, swinging ropes and footbridges.
A footbridge between the hills leads to a lookout tower, a crawl tube runs through another hill, and a separate section is set aside for children under 6.
Speelbos Robin Hood is a natural play forest in the Haagse Bos, run by Staatsbosbeheer. Kids follow an adventure route over rope and suspension bridges, fly along a cable slide, swing through the trees on ropes and take on a climbing wall.
For a slower pace there is a big rope swing to lie back in and a tree trunk where kids sit and tell each other stories.
A city farm in the Delftse Hout where kids can pet some of the animals, cuddle rabbits, and meet goats, sheep, ponies, donkeys, pigs, cows, chickens and peacocks. Wolkje, the yard goat, roams free.
Next door, a rebuilt water playground has a small beach and water pumped in from the Schie. A clog golf course winds through the animal meadow, and the organic restaurant has a terrace.
Schildershoeve is a city farm in the middle of the Schilderswijk where kids get to help with the daily work. They can brush the animals in the paddock, rake and shovel out the manure, and lend a hand at feeding time.
In the cuddle corner, rabbits and guinea pigs can be petted and held. Best for kids who are happy to get their hands dirty.
Op den Dijk is a historic city farm in Wateringse Veld, home to cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens. In the cuddle corner kids can hold the rabbits, and in the big-animal meadow they can brush the animals or help muck out with tools and small wheelbarrows.
A small playground and a few little bikes keep the youngest busy between pens.
Molenweide is one of the city-run farms, with goats in the meadow, rabbits and guinea pigs to pet, and a vegetable and fruit garden where kids can see crops growing.
The farm runs nature and environment activities for kids, and part of the stable is now De Koffiemolen, a corner for coffee or tea while children watch the animals.
Stadsboerderij Landzigt is a city-run farm in Leidschenveen where kids see the daily work of a farm up close. There is a wide mix of animals, a green play area and a regular program of activities, and school groups come often for its lessons.
Lunch café De Smulhoeve is right next door, so a farm visit and a sit-down lunch fit in one trip.
De Kakelhof is one of the ten city farms the municipality runs, set in the middle of the Nieuw Waldeck neighborhood in Loosduinen. Kids can see the farm animals up close and hold the guinea pigs in the cuddle corner. The farm also organizes activities for children and adults.
Stadsboerderij de Gagelhoeve is a small city farm with two animal pastures, a vegetable garden, a herb garden and a picnic lawn. Kids can brush the goats, pet and cuddle the smaller animals in the cuddle corner, then run off to the play area.
The farm also runs regular activities for kids, listed in local family agendas.
't Waaygat is one of The Hague's municipal city farms, on Havenkade by Scheveningen harbor. Kids walk past the pens and stalls to see farm animals up close, including cows, goats and chickens, and a small play area with climbing bars sits on the grounds.
Reigershof is a municipal city farm from 1976, named after the Reigersbergen green space around it. Kids can brush the goats in the pasture, visit the big rabbits, and help at feeding time if they ask the farm manager.
There is a scavenger hunt, a little swap library of children's books in the stable, and a nature playground on the grounds.
Herweijerhoeve is a city farm run by the City of The Hague on the edge of Zuiderpark. Goats, sheep, rabbits and guinea pigs live here, and visitors can walk around and see the animals up close.
In the cuddle corner, kids can pet and hold small animals such as guinea pigs at set times. A small playground sits next to the farm, and Zuiderpark has a much bigger one.
The city's main public library fills several floors of Richard Meier's white City Hall complex on Spui, around the largest atrium in the Netherlands.
The third floor is for children and teens, with a play area, books shelved by age, study spaces and a workshop room. Story sessions run there, including weekly read-alouds in Serbian. The fifth floor holds a theater and a green terrace with city views.
The Visitors Centre explains the Peace Palace, the 1913 building that houses the UN's International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. An audio tour covers the palace's history and the work of the courts inside.
The grounds are open only on guided tours: inside the palace, around the outside, or through the garden. It suits school-age kids curious about how countries resolve disputes without war.
